KEN O’HALLORAN HAS compared next Sunday’s Munster senior football final between Cork and Kerry to an Old Firm derby.
Cork goalkeeper O’Halloran believes that the bitter rivalry with neighbours Kerry is on a par with the Glasgow divide that exists between Celtic and Rangers.
As Páirc Uí Chaoimh prepares to host its last provincial senior football decider before a €70m redevelopment, O’Halloran can’t help but get caught up in the excitement.
The 27-year-old shotstopper believes that the Cork-Kerry rivalry is “probably the biggest in the country.”
And he has described the almost annual championship spat as the “Celtic-Rangers in the GAA.”
“It’s something you dream of playing in – the final game in Páirc Uí Chaoimh too. When you’re summer training in Páirc Uí Chaoimh and the pitch is beautiful you pinch yourself sometimes.”
O’Halloran admits that he has to isolate himself from the external factors and fan expectations surrounding this game.
Cork haven’t beaten Kerry in a Munster senior football final since 2008 but they have a glorious opportunity to end that run on home soil.
“You get it from people going to work and people going to college. It’s the first thing they want to talk to you about. But you have to block it out as much as you can.
“Anyone you meet in Cork, there seems to be a good buzz about the place. Two Munster finals in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, the Marquee on, the weather being nice.
“You saw the way Fota Island went with the big crowds for the Irish Open. Sometimes when people get behind something it can really take off.”
And O’Halloran conceded that retaining focus ahead of a game of such massive importance can be a challenge.
“I don’t think many players enjoy the build up to games. You learn quickly when you’re playing in front of a big crowd that once it starts it’s the same game you’ve played since you were eight years old.
“You just play the game. Once it starts you can enjoy it. There’s no better feeling than sitting in a dressing room having played well. You can go home and be proud of yourself. They’re the moments you play for.”
Following the retirement of 2010 All-Ireland winner Alan Quirke, former understudy O’Halloran is now firmly established as Cork’s number one.
And he believes that experience will play a huge part in coping with the pressure-cooker environment of Páirc Uí Chaoimh against the reigning provincial champions.
“You get more used to it as you get older. When you’re 18 or 19 you’re playing matches and it seems to be the most important thing in the world every single time. You get a bit more mellowed as you get older because you’ve dealt with it before.”
